Lee Min-jung


Lee Min-jung is a South Korean actress. She began her career in Jang Jin's stage plays, and for a few years appeared in supporting roles on film and television. She became known after her appearance in Boys Over Flowers, and landed her first lead role in family drama Smile, You. Lee achieved widespread recognition for her leading role in the romantic comedy Cyrano Agency. She also starred in Wonderful Radio, Big, Cunning Single Lady and Come Back Mister.

Career

Lee began her career in playwright/filmmaker Jang Jin's stage plays, then appeared in the Christian-themed indie Pruning the Grapevine, while doing minor roles on film and television. She became a household name in 2009 through her supporting role in the popular high school series Boys Over Flowers, which then landed her first leading role in the weekend drama Smile, You. The same year, she won the Best New Actress award at the Korean Association of Film Critics Awards for her performance in the mystery thriller White Night.
Lee's breakout role was in romantic comedy Cyrano Agency in 2010, where she swept Best New Actress awards at various local award-giving bodies.
Commercials and endorsements flooded in, and Lee gained a "goddess" label in the press. One of the challenges of her next film Wonderful Radio, was to strip her of that image. She successfully carried the film, with one review praising her as "expertly swinging from girly ditz, through self-centered pop diva, to serious singer-songwriter." Co-star Lee Jung-jin said her actual personality is similar to the character's - "really upbeat and outgoing."
After playing a disillusioned fiancée to an ambitious fund manager in Midas, Lee returned to the romantic comedy genre in the body-swapping TV series Big written by the Hong sisters. In 2013 she starred in another rom-com series All About My Romance, about a secret relationship between two politicians of rival parties. This was followed by Cunning Single Lady in 2014, in which she played the titular character who schemes to win her ex-husband back now that he's rich and successful.
Lee made her acting comeback after three years in the SBS drama Come Back Mister with Rain. The series began airing in February 2016, and Lee won positive reviews for her performance.
In 2018, Lee is scheduled to return with a SBS weekend drama Fates & Furies. She will re-unite with her former co-star Joo Sang-wook from Cunning Single Lady as main leads.

Personal life

Her maternal grandfather was renowned painter Park No-soo, who led the first generation of modern traditional Korean ink painters who emerged after the country's liberation from Japanese rule. Park died on February 25, 2013, at the age of 86.
Lee married actor Lee Byung-hun on August 10, 2013 at the Grand Hyatt Seoul. The couple had briefly dated in 2006, then resumed their relationship in 2012. Lee gave birth to their first child, Lee Joon-hoo, a boy, on 31 March 2015.

Filmography

Film

Television series

Music video appearances

Theater

Discography

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryNominated workResult
2009SBS Drama AwardsNew Star AwardSmile, You
2010Baeksang Arts AwardsBest New ActressSmile, You
2010Korea Jewelry AwardsRuby Award
2010Korean Association of Film Critics AwardsBest New ActressWhite Night
2010Blue Dragon Film AwardsBest New ActressCyrano Agency
2010University Film Festival of KoreaBest New ActressCyrano Agency
2010Director's Cut AwardsBest New ActressCyrano Agency
2010Grand Bell AwardsBest New ActressCyrano Agency
2010Grand Bell AwardsPopularity Award, ActressCyrano Agency
2010Style Icon AwardsStyle Icon - Movie ActressCyrano Agency
2011Baeksang Arts AwardsBest New ActressCyrano Agency
2011Baeksang Arts AwardsInStyle Fashionista Award
2011SBS Drama AwardsExcellence Award, Actress in a Special Planning DramaMidas
20125th Herald Donga TV Lifestyle AwardsStyle Icon Award
2012KBS Drama AwardsExcellence Award, Actress in a MiniseriesBig
2014MBC Drama AwardsTop Excellence Award, Actress in a MiniseriesCunning Single Lady
2019SBS Drama AwardsTop Excellence Award, Actress in a Mid-length DramaFates & Furies